Feb 20, 2015 2 min read

The Washington Wild Things made several roster moves in preparation for the Frontier League team’s 14th season.

The Wild Things traded right-handed starting pitcher Shawn Blackwell to the Sioux Falls Canaries of the independent American Association in exchange for pitcher Kyle Vazquez. Washington also signed a pair of players from Pennsylvania, pitcher Kyle Davis and outfielder Casey Roche.

Blackwell had a 10-4 record last year with a 3.70 ERA in 21 games (17 starts) and was 14-14 in two seasons with the Wild Things. In Vazquez, Washington receives a right-hander with six years of professional experience. Vazquez was drafted in the 15th round out of Franklin Pierce College by San Francisco in 2009 and spent four years in the Giants’ system. The last two seasons, Vazquez spent in independent ball with Sioux Falls. He had a 5-9 record and 6.02 ERA in 18 starts last season for the Canaries.

Vazquez will be reunited with new Wild Things pitching coach Ben Moore. Vazquez and Moore were teammates the last two seasons with Sioux Falls.

Davis, a native of Solebury in Bucks County, is a rookie out Allegheny College. He had a 6-5 record last spring with the Gators and struck out 69 in 81 2/3 innings. Davis originally signed with a team in the new independent Mount Rainier league after playing in a winter league in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Wild Things acquired the rights to Davis in a trade for a player to be named.

At Allegheny, Davis established a school record with 252 2/3 career innings pitched, which broke the record of current Washington & Jefferson College coach Jeff Mountain. Davis pitched 16 career complete games and four shutouts.

Roche, from Downingtown, was a four-year starter at Pitt, primarily playing right field. Roche ranks third in Pitt history in games played (202), games started (197), RBI (149), triples (10) and total bases (351). He ranks fourth all-time in hits (240) and runs (161) and had a career batting average of .318.